Saratoga Research & Investment Management Has $60.19 Million Holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD)

Saratoga Research & Investment Management lessened its stake in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 148,551 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 8,776 shares during the quarter. Home Depot makes up 2.6% of Saratoga Research & Investment Management's holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Saratoga Research & Investment Management's holdings in Home Depot were worth $60,193,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in HD. Fairway Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Home Depot in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new stake in Home Depot in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Home Depot in the 3rd quarter valued at $41,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in Home Depot during the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Denver PWM LLC acquired a new position in shares of Home Depot in the second quarter valued at $40,000. 70.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Home Depot Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HD traded down $6.96 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $414.42. 3,590,611 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,374,668. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $411.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $377.09. The stock has a market cap of $411.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.19, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.65. The Home Depot, Inc. has a one year low of $323.77 and a one year high of $439.37.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.64 by $0.14. Home Depot had a return on equity of 452.60% and a net margin of 9.45%. The business had revenue of $40.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $39.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.81 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 27th will be issued a dividend of $2.25 per share. This represents a $9.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 27th. Home Depot's payout ratio is 61.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on HD shares. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set a "market perform" rating and a $451.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Home Depot from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. DA Davidson upped their target price on Home Depot from $430.00 to $466.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Telsey Advisory Group raised Home Depot from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $360.00 to $455.00 in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Home Depot from $400.00 to $430.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Home Depot currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $426.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Home Depot

In other news, EVP Timothy A. Hourigan sold 16,004 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $6,553,958.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 77,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,727,562. The trade was a 17.12 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Teresa Wynn Roseborough sold 22,084 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $408.91, for a total transaction of $9,030,368.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,343,399.64. This represents a 51.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 38,188 shares of company stock worth $15,624,585. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Home Depot

The Home Depot, Inc operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States and internationally. It sells various building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, and décor products, as well as facilities maintenance, repair, and operations products. The company also offers installation services for flooring, water heaters, bath, garage doors, cabinets, cabinet makeovers, countertops, sheds, furnaces and central air systems, and windows.